Welcome to the College of Nurses Aotearoa News Update.
No. 613 Wednesday 5 October 2022
Weekly news round-up of nursing and health information in New Zealand and internationally
New Zealand news
Nurses warned plan to turn down extra shifts next week likely illegal
Nurses around the country are set to turn down all extra shifts next week but the new health authority is warning them it is likely an illegal strike.
NZ Nurses Organisation calls on members to refuse extra shifts, doctors expect widespread ...
Doctors are expecting widespread disruption at hospitals if nurses refuse extra shifts next week.
Health ministers queried why nurses not on fast track residence list, papers show
Government papers show health ministers questioned why nurses and dentists were not being put on the fast-track to residence when the Green List immigration policy was being drawn up.
International news
Nurses unable to nurse enthusiasm for stressful, underpaid job - VnExpress International
Vietnamese hospitals are struggling to recruit nurses after many have quit saying they are overworked and poorly paid, placing greater burdens on those who stay on the job.
Nurses are quitting the NHS in droves for less stress and a better work-life balance
More than 40000 highly skilled and experienced nurses have walked away in the past year.
NHS nurses not eating at work in order to feed their children, survey finds - The Guardian
Lack of money in NHS means some staff are quitting to take better paid jobs in pubs and shops
Primary Care Clinics Staffed Entirely by Nurse Practitioners (NPs)
Mitesco, Inc. has launched the Good Clinic, which is likely the first of its kind, a chain of six primary health clinics staffed entirely by NPs. Unlike the “10- to 15-minute appointments typically allotted for physician-staffed clinics as well as two-week wait time for a visit,” the Good Clinic offers patients 40-minute exams and provides appointments within a day.
Aged care
Reefton 'duped' over rest home closure - 1News
The doors remain shut at Reefton's only rest home facility.
Aged care crisis: Elderly languishing in hospitals as 1200 nurses sought, 940 beds closed
Rest homes are struggling with nursing shortages, affecting capacity for new ... Carolyn Cooper is New Zealand's inaugural Aged Care Commissioner, ...
Aged care sector having to turn away new residents amid nursing shortage - Newstalk ZB
Aged care sector having to turn away new residents amid nursing shortage ... NZ Aged Care Association chief executive on aged care labour shortage ...
Allergies
Hayfever hitting sufferers earlier and harder thanks to climate change
If you’ve found yourself sneezing and sniffling earlier than normal this year due to hayfever, get used to it – climate change has lengthened the pollen season and increased its intensity.
Cancer issues
Pinkie back for breast cancer tour - times.co.nz
Aucklanders will have the opportunity to visit Breast Cancer Foundation NZ’s iconic Pink Caravan, ‘Pinkie’, for free breast health advice from this week.
Covid
Risk of Covid-19 death much higher if you're older, unwell, Māori or unvaccinated
New Zealand’s Covid-19 death toll is not equal: poorer people, Māori and Pacific, those with underlying health conditions, unvaccinated and older Kiwis have a much higher risk of dying from the virus.
Unlike flu, severe Covid-19 attacks DNA in the heart – new research
Direct research on the hearts of Covid-19 patients who have died from the disease has revealed they sustained DNA damage in a way completely unlike how influenza affects the body.
Te Tauihu Iwi And Māori Health Providers Launch Covid-19 Research Project
Iwi and Māori health providers in the top of the South have launched a research project to better understand the voices of Māori and their experiences throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.
'Increasingly likely' Aotearoa will see a 'significant' Covid wave before year ends
It is looking “increasingly likely” that New Zealand could see another “significant” wave of Covid-19 before the end of the year, a leading modeller says.
HDC cases and disciplinary actions
Complaints to Health and Disability Commission up by 25 percent | RNZ News
Complaints about medical misadventure have shot up, putting huge pressure on investigators and causing big delays for victims.
Health NZ Te Whatu Ora
Pregnant woman died at hospital after admission to ICU delayed
A heavily pregnant woman in her 20s and her unborn child died at Palmerston North Hospital after the woman's admission to intensive care with sepsis was delayed.
This delay lasted several hours as her condition worsened.
MidCentral considers employing more emergency department doctors
Junior doctors working under extraordinary stress in Palmerston North Hospital’s Emergency Department have convinced Te Whatu Ora MidCentral to consider recruiting more medical staff.
Whangārei Hospital 'dangerously' understaffed as shift incentive scheme ends
Whangārei Hospital is “dangerously” understaffed, a nurse says, with the facility under intense pressure despite winter being over.
Christchurch Hospital experiencing 'unprecedented high demand' | RNZ News
Christchurch Hospital's head says high spring demand has taken them by surprise - and school holidays will likely make things worse.
Up to 70 children a day arriving at Christchurch ED with viral infections
Christchurch’s emergency department (ED) is seeing a spike in children severely ill from respiratory illnesses as an RSV outbreak arrives later than expected from Australia.
Taranaki hospitals' EDs swamped with patients | RNZ News
Taranaki hospitals are pleading with people not to visit their emergency departments (EDs) unless they need urgent and serious care.
Buller Health's 24/7 acute care services to continue operating at reduced capacity
Urgent patient stabilisation and observation services provided by Buller Health’s Foote Ward team will continue to temporarily be provided at a reduced capacity.
Health research
'Revolutionary' study reveals hope for eventual prevention of cerebral palsy
A new study is raising hope for the eventual prevention of cerebral palsy in very premature babies. Read more
Health workforce and recruitment
Health worker shortage: Te Whatu Ora Lakes vacancies have quadrupled since 2019
The number of vacancies at Te Whatu Ora Lakes has quadrupled since 2019 as health worker shortages continue to plague the country.
Nurses show keen interest in New Zealand at London job fair | Newshub
As the global demand for nurses soars to crisis points, New Zealand is under more pressure than ever to appeal to offshore workers.
Housing and homelessness
Government celebrates Healthy Homes Initiative report
The government is touting the Healthy Homes Initiative, with a report suggesting the programme reduces people's chance of going to hospital by nearly 20 percent.
Mental health
Study on depression identifies key risk factors for Pasifika youth
Some of these factors include; relationships with parents (particularly mother), relationships with friends, school engagement, and impulsivity. Read more
Te ao Māori approach to mental health prioritised in wellbeing campaign
A campaign has been rolled out in order to get more whānau Māori to talk about, and look after, their mental health and wellbeing in the wake of mental health awareness week.
Family, friends and school key to curbing depression in Pacific youth – study
Connectedness with family, friends and school can help prevent depression in Pacific youth, a new study has found.
Free online therapy courses released in New Zealand Sign Language
Online therapy courses have been translated into sign language to support the mental health of those in the Deaf and hard of hearing community.
Primary health care
Package to boost GP numbers in communities revealed
The government has revealed details of a package to get more medical graduates training to be general practitioners.
Long waiting times across health sector | RNZ
The length of time people are waiting to see a health professional is blowing out.
It could take up to six weeks to get an appointment at some GP clinics.
Patient details could be compromised as large North Island GP network hit by a cyber attack
A large North Island GP network has been hit by a cyber attack, with patient details potentially compromised.
Cyber attack on health provider Pinnacle a 'wake up call' | Stuff.co.nz
Director of the Royal New Zealand College Dr Bryan Betty said the cyber ... Waikato DHB warned a cyber attack 'catastrophic for patient safety'
Rural health
Rural Health Careers Promotion Programme students try to build a better future
Patients of some rural health practices are waiting up to six weeks for routine appointments because of staff shortages, a rural GP says.
Reports and Journals online
GP Research Review
Issue 201
In this issue, we look at a large US nationwide cohort study where lower rates of all-cause and cause-specific mortality were seen among individuals who engaged in active patterns of physical activity, whether weekend warrior or regular activity, compared with inactive individuals.
Welcome to the latest Journal of Primary Health Care (click here for fulltext access).
Volume 14(3) 2022
Table of contents (pdf)
Articles of interest
The article below is not freely available but may be accessed through databases and libraries to which readers have access.
Practice nursing: A systematic literature review of facilitators and barriers in three countries
Verrall, Claire et al. Collegian, Volume 0, Issue 0 (prepubliation)
Background
Practice Nurses (PN) play an increasing role in chronic disease management, however, this role is poorly defined.
Question
How do Practice Nurses in New Zealand, Canada and the United Kingdom manage chronic disease?
Aim
This systematic review aims to identify the barriers and facilitators for practice nurses in New Zealand (NZ), Canada and the United Kingdom (UK) when caring for patients with a chronic disease. To determine how Practice Nurses in three high income countries manage chronic disease.
The above information has been collated for the College of Nurses Aotearoa (NZ) Inc by Linda Stopforth, SNIPS and is provided on a weekly basis. It is current as of 4 October
If you have any feedback about content - what parts are most useful or what you would like added - please email admin@nurse.org.nz
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